


The Only Treasure

by ninwrites



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Canon Compliant, Communication, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Minor Angst, Near Future, No i do not, Post-Season/Series 02, Relationship Discussions, Romantic Fluff, Self-Indulgent, Supportive Alec Lightwood, True Love, alec is a sweetheart, alec lightwood is secretly a poet, all based off THAT shirt, do i write anything else these days?, husbands™, i don't make the rules, like blink and you'll probably miss it, sappy conversations, until season three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-18 06:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12382869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites
Summary: Alec just wants to do something nice for Magnus.





	The Only Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> title from 'The Power of Love' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (I highly recommend [this cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNpeK7sDLzE))
> 
> \--
> 
> A bundle of hearts and love to [Sam](https://twitter.com/alecwinchesterr), my awesome writing buddy for beta-reading this for me. You're an absolute sweetheart. 
> 
> The fact that this is posted on Spirit Day is entirely unintentional, but rather a wonderful coincidence. No one deserves to be bullied just for being who they are - we can all choose kindness.
> 
> And a Happy Diwali to all those celebrating it ❤

 

Alec pokes his head into the study, phone gripped tightly in his hand. Magnus has been holed up inside there all day, brewing potions and cataloguing his entire inventory, having not been given the chance to recently, what with Valentine causing a mess and casually threatening genocide.

It's part of the reason why Alec wants to do this, why he has to sneak around behind Magnus' back, without giving him any reason to suspect anything - because Magnus is alway doing so much for him, always puts Alec first in a way that nobody else  _ever_  has, and Alec wants to do ... he wants to do something.

Magnus has been working himself to the bone, trying to rebuild trust with clients who'd started to doubt him, keep contracts with mundanes who expect everything at the snap of their fingers with no regard as to what hell he's been through outside of their narrow-minded perspective.

Magnus is bent over a cauldron, smoke rising from it in purple hues, his forehead scrunched tightly in concentration; considering the spread of ingredients around him, Alec doubts that he'll be out of the room for the next few hours, at least.

It is perhaps the only time that Alec would count that as a blessing.

He pulls back from the door slowly, unlocking his phone to scan quickly through his contacts. It's not as though he realistically has a lot, it takes nothing more than a tiny swipe to find the person he's looking for.

Alec waits until the door of their bedroom has shut, a naive semblance of a barrier between his privacy and Magnus - this is the first time Alec has really tried to surprise Magnus, and he doesn't imagine it's an easy task, but he's stubborn at his core and it's - it's for  _Magnus._

Alec would do anything for Magnus.

Alec taps on the contact, phone held to his ear, half of his attention directed towards the door in case Magnus happens to break early. The dial rings four times before being picked up, enough time for Alec to second-guess if it's even a good idea, if he should just figure it out on his own, and-

"Alec?" Catarina doesn't sound busy, just curious, which begins to settle the nerves sparking beneath Alec's skin, to some degree.

"Hi, Cat - I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Alec paces the floor, slowly, his free hand wrapped loosely around his middle.

"Fortunately, I've just come off a shift, and Madzie is staying over at Rose's tonight, so I have the time to talk - I'm presuming that your lack of franticism means that nothing drastic has gone wrong."

Alec remembers Rose, a small sprite-like warlock with petals for hair and pale pink skin, her smile as bright as Madzie's when she lets it grow. It warms him to know that Madzie is making new friends, with kids who are like her, because it means that when she's older there's a better chance that she won't feel as alone as a lot of other warlocks in her position have.

Alec doesn't claim to understand what it's like to be a warlock, he'd never even dare, but he knows what it's like to feel alone in the world, different, an outcast within one's own society, and the last thing that Madzie - or anyone for that matter - deserves is to feel that low.

"No, nothing bad. I actually need your advice on something," Alec explains, fingers curling around his ribs. "Magnus has been working himself ragged lately, and I understand that trying to encourage him to take a break is ... futile, but I was hoping to take him out for dinner, get him away from the apartment for a few hours, at least."

Catarina laughs softly, with the kind of warmth that comes from knowing someone longer than most. "Magnus is a rock within a stream - not time nor the will of another can easily budge him." There's a pause - when Catarina speaks again, it's with humour and something wondrous to her tone. "Then again, he's never had someone like you in his life before, either."

Alec smiles, dazedly, even as he ponders if that's a good thing or not. "I don't think I'll be able to ... make him do something he doesn't want to - nor would I, even given the chance."

Catarina hums, something high-pitched, almost like a whistle echoing in the background. "I know. That's not what I was trying to imply. Rather that, were anyone capable of encouraging him to take a break, and take the necessary time out for himself, it would be you."

Alec is sure that he shouldn't be as pleased by that as he actually is, that he shouldn't be grinning ear-to-ear; but then, it had just been suggested by possibly Magnus' oldest friend, that Alec is the first that Magnus has met who is able to convince him to change his mind. Alec counts that as something quite extraordinary.

"What do you have in mind?" Catarina asks, considerably gentle. "And feel free to leave out most details."

Alec releases a soft laugh in response, glancing quickly at the door. "Nothing as intrusive as going to the Hunter's Moon would be, I want it to be about getting him away from everything. I was actually thinking it might be nice to make reservations at a ... you know, somewhere-" Despite knowing that Catarina cannot see, Alec waves his hands broadly in front of him, searching for the right words. "Romantic. Fancy."

"Fancy?" There's humour to Catarina's response, but it's teasing, not cruel, and Alec appreciates that she - unlike others he knows - isn't taking the immediate chance to mock him. "I know of a few places - ones that will provide the atmosphere you desire, without the pressure of a busy crowd. I can make a few calls, on your behalf-"

"Are they, mundane places?" Alec asks, trying not to sound condescending, as the Shadowhunter in him is bound to. He's simply curious, and a little hesitant, as Downworlders - rightfully - don't have the best view of his kind at the moment.

"They can be." Catarina hums. "I'll send the contact details of a few - if you want a foot in the door, don't be afraid to drop Magnus' name; even around mundanes, he's quite respected. However, for most of them it shouldn't be a requirement."

"Thank you, Catarina." Alec sighs. "I really appreciate it."

"I won't say  _anytime_  because I am, to be quite frank, a very busy woman." Catarina continues before guilt has the chance to sink in Alec's gut. "However, through the entire time I have known Magnus, he's never been smart enough to fall for someone who cares about him the way that you do."

Alec's cheeks flare, a fire lit beneath his skin, and it's a lot, but not in a bad way.

"In the future," Catarina adds. "If there's ever an argument that I find myself caught up in, odds are highly in your favour. In some ways you're too sensible for him, but it's what he needs - someone who thinks about him when he won't. He's been burnt in the past, scorched to the bone, and he thinks it's what he's worth, but you and I both know that isn't true."

Alec's heart clenches tightly. "I would never hurt him."

Alec can almost sense Catarina's smile through the line, thin and a little sarcastic, but genuine in its strength. "I know. I don't trust easily, Alec, especially when it comes to Magnus, who does - I believe - give his heart away without reason."

Alec sits on the edge of the bed, emotion weighing him down.

"I trust you." Catarina sighs. "Magnus has opened himself up, given his everything to you, and I trust that you'll keep it, and him, safe. There's a fight in you, deeper than that which comes with the territory of your blood; you'll do anything you can to protect those you love, and I respect that. I've never really respected a Shadowhunter before, so I'd take it as the compliment it is, because I doubt I'll say anything quite so disgusting again."

"Feelings don't tend to really be my thing, either." Alec explains. "I'm ... I'm honoured, that you do trust me. I know how important that is, how much that means to Magnus, and - it means a lot to me, too. I hope I don't do anything to break that."

Catarina scoffs. "Don't be stupid, and we won't have a problem."

"That I can do." Alec says, because he's done enough stupid things to last his entire lifetime, and then some. "Thank you, again. Enjoy your free night."

"Oh, believe me, I'm planning to."

With that, Catarina hangs up, leaving Alec hunched on his bed, phone hanging between his fingers. The phone call had, by all aspects, gone a lot better than he'd expected - he knows that Catarina isn't, in Magnus' words, the 'warm and fuzzy' type and he'd never presumed to hear anything like what he just had.

The conversation has filled him with a soothing warmth, but he can't ignore the sharp edges to her trust - there's a lot to Magnus he still doesn't know, that he might never know - but Catarina knows  _everything_ , and she still trusts the heart and wellbeing of her oldest friend to Alec. She trusts that a Shadowhunter will treat Magnus the way that he deserves.

It's a huge deal, one that Alec isn't entirely sure how to comprehend. It's more than just humbling, it's a stark reminder of how lucky he really is. Just another reason to add to the growing list of why he wants to do this for Magnus.

Because Magnus deserves it, and so much more.

 

* * *

 

Alec makes the reservation the next day, within the safety of his locked office, hand twitching by his side. His voice is steady when he asks for a table for two, his apprehension eased by the kind woman on the other end, who offers them a place somewhere quiet where they won't be interrupted, after he'd mentioned that they both run quite hectic lives and don't often have the time to spend together.

He leaves out the fact that he is in charge of running an organisation that protects the world from demons, as well as the little tidbit about Magnus being the leader of a warlock community and has done so for more decades than Alec has been alive; as far as she's aware, he's an average twenty-something taking out his very human boyfriend to celebrate their very normal love.

Not a half-angel being who came out at his wedding to another person, who fell for a few-centuries-old warlock over a technically short amount of time, who's been in more near-death experiences than he can count and who only a few weeks ago, was trying to stop a genocidal maniac from destroying the world.

That is too much for the poor mundane woman to handle, so Alec keeps the details to a minimum.

The restaurant he'd chosen, out of Catarina's recommendations, is one with a surprisingly lenient exchange policy, so if something unfortunate were to come up - entirely likely in their respective lines of work - he doesn't have to abandon his idea completely, so long as he's reasonable about when he calls.

He's taken the first step towards surprising Magnus, and as Alec leans back in his seat, he feels surprisingly accomplished. It just feels good, to do something for Magnus, to plan something that will distract him from the mess that their world has spiralled into.

Alec can't take the weight of Magnus' workload off him, can't stop people from needing things from him, can't replace him as High Warlock for a day to give him a vacation - but he can do this.

 

* * *

 

Magnus is scribing the process of a stronger protection spell from his spellbook - which Alec had managed to get back to him after Valentine's long overdue demise - when there's a soft, almost hesitant knock on the door of his study.

He glances over, happiness carving a smile even before his gaze lands on Alec's. "Alexander."

Alec pokes his head in, one hand wrapped around the doorframe. "Hi. Are you busy?"

"Just copying a spell for a client - protection is all anyone seems to be asking for these days." Magnus leans back in his seat, quill hanging from between his fingers. "I could never be too busy for you, though, darling."

Alec grins, entering the room properly, the door swinging closed behind him. "I don't want to interrupt anything important." He says, even as he crosses the distance towards Magnus, gravitating with the pull of a magnet.

"You, my sweet, are a welcome distraction." Magnus leans into the arms that wrap around his back, hands clasped against his chest. "Something on your mind?"

It can't be an emergency, Alec is far too calm for that. It is the kind of atmosphere that Magnus craves, if he's being true, because there is nothing for them to worry about, nothing calling their attention but the pull of their own hearts and desires, nothing to do but whatever they want.

It's rare, and even more special for it.

Alec hums, pressing a kiss to Magnus' temple. "Just thinking about dinner." There's something slightly,  _off_ , to Alec's tone. It's probably nothing, but Magnus notes it regardless, just in case.

"There's that place on 8th that delivers mouth-watering Greek, if you want to order in." Magnus closes his hand over Alec's, folding their fingers together. It's a fact of their tumultuous lives that when Alec is home this early, it's more often than not with a stack of paperwork higher than Magnus' desk; he'd simply prefer to do it at home, than within the stone confines of the Institute walls.

"Actually," Alec presses a soft, half-parted kiss to the curve of Magnus' cheekbone. "I was thinking," Another to the apple of his cheek. Magnus is tempted to tell him to spit it out, but he's pushing it down in favour of tilting his head back into Alec's touch. "Maybe, if you want, we could go out instead."

"Oh," Yet again, Alec has managed to catch him off-guard.

"Unless you don't want to." Alec adds, arms tightening around Magnus. He pulls back enough to make contact, eyes wide and full of nothing but concern for what  _Magnus_  wants.

His stupid, selfless Shadowhunter, always putting himself behind the needs of others.

"I would love to go out, Alexander." Magnus drops his gaze, the intensity of affection in Alec's eyes enough to drown in. "I simply wasn't sure it would be possible, for you."

Alec shrugs, fingers tightening against Magnus'. "I pulled a few strings ... and, after I suggested it to Isabelle, she essentially pushed me out of the door. Convinced me that they had it handled without my help for a night."

Magnus hums, inclining his head towards Alec. "The whole night?"

Alec grins, leaning forward until his nose is brushing teasingly against Magnus'. "Mm. In fact, I don't actually have to return to the Institute until noon. At the earliest."

Magnus pecks the corner of Alec's mouth, heart stuttering in excitement. "Dinner and your company for almost an entire day? You're spoiling me."

"You deserve to be spoiled." Alec states, with devastating sincerity.

Magnus can't remember the last time somebody had said those words to him, when the last time was that someone actually wanted to spoil him. He was always pouring himself into relationships, pouring his energy into people who squandered it, discarded his attentions as something they were due, not something to return in equal measure.

Alec blinks, smile full of that charming innocence, and it's all Magnus can do to twist in his seat and pull him close, fingers tangling in his hair, palm pressed to his warming cheek. The kiss is short, the angle a little awkward, but Magnus counts it as a personal best, if only for the fact that it is Alec's lips placed on his.

''Is that a yes?" Alec asks. "To dinner?"

"Oh, Alexander." Magnus shakes his head in fond adoration, pulling Alec closer, the need to return another kiss rumbling deep beneath his skin. "It's a yes, to anything. Everything. Dinner included."

_And_ , Magnus thinks, as Alec's smile forms against his cheek,  _it's a thank you. For everything._

 

* * *

 

Alec disappears soon after that, mumbling something about leaving Magnus to his work, and having things he needs to confirm. Magnus lets him go, of course - he can't imagine it's easy for Alec to leave the control of the Institute to another person, even someone he trusts as dearly as Isabelle - but not without another quick kiss, first.

He's a sap. Sue him.

There isn't a lot of the spell left to copy, which is endlessly fortunate, because the notion of having dinner with Alec is prickling his skin with anticipation, and the last thing he wants to do is tedious  _scribing_. Not when a better option has just been put forth.

He does wonder, distantly, if in the mess of everything he's missed something, an important date or anniversary - though it can't have been something terribly big for them, as they've not even reached the six-month mark yet.

How mind-blowing, too, that in such a short amount of time, barely a blink for someone like him, he's developed such a tight, unbreakable bond with Alec, an attachment that not distance nor logic can force apart.

_When you find the one_ , an old friend of his once said, tripping lace along his arm,  _you simply know; not time nor circumstance can sway feelings that are meant to bloom._ She had not been the one, barely a one - she was simply a warm body that kept the cold from creeping into his heart, a cheeky smile that helped him retain his affection for life itself.

At the time he had laughed at her, and her foolish belief in the notion of a love that strong, genuinely laughed in dancing tones and tugged her lithe frame close because the truth of love was that it didn't exist, and certainly not for him.

Her message had stayed with him, though, long after her pitter-patter steps had left his townhouse, parasol hanging from her fingertips.

There are only so many times that one can have their hopes of love crushed before it stops being a realistic idea. It was a foolish dream, and that's all it was ever going to be - why waste his time putting effort into something he'll never have, if he could spend it towards much more productive things.

He'd thrown himself into his work, into all the joys that life had to offer, locking his heart inside a box not dissimilar to Pandora's, for there was nothing to him but demons and destruction, nothing meant for him but an endless spiral of time that he had no control over.

Simply put, he was cursed.

Everything in the universe must be balanced, and with the level of magic and power that he wields, comes terror, a disassociation where people are too scared to get close for fear of what might happen to them if they do. With immortality, comes the knowledge that he'll never find someone who wants to settle down with him, for a being like him will never really settle.

It's why, before he came to New York, he moved around so much - why he travelled to all ends of the Earth and took pleasure in all that came his way, because it was easier, because fooling himself into believing an unconventional, ever-changing life is what he wanted means he didn't have to consider the truth.

Unfortunately, he never really could lie to himself. For a man whose own company is often all he has, it's frankly stupid to try and play tricks on his own mind. He craved that kind of affection, the kind of love that scorches veins and sends hearts soaring, the kind of connection that has him craving the other person's presence, their voice, their touch.

The notion of 'the one' was little more than a fairytale, because how could he be worthy enough of someone's pure and unending love, how could he be the  _one_  that somebody is happy to settle down with?

Magnus had never been enough for someone to settle for, let alone with. He'd lost hope in the idea of ever really falling in love again, tried with each painful inhale to convince himself that he's better off alone - and then Alec had come along.

Through everything, through the tense acquaintance, the rocky beginning, even the most painful moments; Magnus had held onto foolish hope that they'd work it out because Alec was different, he felt different.

He'd never felt for anyone else, what he does for Alec.

It's only now, with the world temporarily slowing down to allow them a chance to breathe, that Magnus realises why. Alec is  _the one_. There's never been anybody like him before, and it's unlikely there'll be anybody like him in the future.

Alec is ... it.

 

* * *

 

The spell is barely legible, scribbled words scrawled across thin parchment, but it's enough for what he's being paid; warlocks are less likely to pay amounts beyond ordinary for spells more powerful than their own. It was with deep-seeded reluctance that Carlos even agreed to pay anything, but he is receiving help from the High Warlock of Brooklyn, a title that comes with certain perks, such as being stronger than the spells of many others.

In these times, certain sacrifices simply must be made.

Magnus rolls the parchment into a tight scroll, wrapped around the center with a ribbon of bright blood silk, then crosses to his sprawling expanse of shelves, spell book floating after him. His fingers skim along the spines of endless tomes until he reaches the one he's looking for; large, spanning almost a thousand pages - or so it seems to the unseen eye.

Magnus pulls it out, the cover falling apart without effort. After his spell book was stolen, and given to Valentine to do with what he so chose, Magnus has taken extra precautions. Back to the methods he can count on, back to leaning on his own magic, that which is tied in to his very being. No more leaning on assumptions, because assumptions don't keep him, or his precious belongings safe.

His spellbook, the one in his hands and those he's written before it, are his life's work, all he has to show for four-hundred years alive.

Inside the larger tome is an excavated space, inside which he hides his book, the spell around it snapping back into place like a rubber band. If someone were to search for his spellbook, even if magic was used to call to it, it would not be found. The spell works as a glamour of sorts, in the sense that the harder someone looks for the book, the harder it is to find. Only himself, and anyone he permits, will be able to see it.

Warlocks as powerful as him might be able to detect the vague area of where it is situated, but there'll be discouraged in a new direction if they get too close. The only way to break the spell is the same as any other that strong - to incapacitate him.

That, however, is an incredibly difficult feat to achieve, and so unlikely that Magnus feels content that his spellbook is safe.

The spell he'd copied out for Carlos, dumbed down a little in language for his skill-level, and without half of the extra perks Magnus would add from personal preference, is sent away with a snap of his fingers.

Something niggles at his wards, and when Magnus opens the slightest pocket into it, payment drops onto his desk, a velvet pouch containing ingredients that Magnus has been desperately needing, something Carlos has easier access to.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Magnus whispers to the open air, dispersing his payment quickly with the twist of his wrist.

He does have plans for tonight, after all.

 

* * *

 

"So, is there a specific place you have in mind for dinner tonight, or-"

Magnus halts at the entrance to their bedroom, hands perched on his hips. The sight before him is, in all honesty, not something that he expected to see upon walking in, and he's caught between swooning and, in all honesty, giggling a bit.

"Alexander?"

Alec looks up quickly, eyes blown wide in shock. "Magnus." His shoulders hunch up. "Um. Hi?"

"Hi? That is what you're leading with." Magnus shakes his head fondly. "Having some trouble, darling?"

Alec fiddles with the buttons of a shirt that Magnus is sure was his, once upon a time. Alec probably found it somewhere in the dark depths of the closet; he really should spring clean it sometime, get rid of anything older than this century. It actually looks quite good on Alec, ill-fit aside - the darker colour, shifting somewhere between purple and black, contrasts beautifully with his paler skin tone, drawn together by the criss-cross of white lines forming diamonds.

Magnus inclines his head in appreciation, humming as he takes in the rest of Alec's outfit, something he seems to have had less trouble with; ironed black slacks hemmed above sleek black dress shoes that Magnus remembers seeing Alec wear before, if only once.

It's a shame that they don't get to go out more. Stupid duties and responsibilities keeping them from doing things that are fun, keeping Magnus from seeing Alec dressed to the nines in something a little nicer than his standard gear.

"I wanted to wear something nice," Alec mutters, staring down at the shirt. It's specifically tailored for Magnus, for his shape and figure, and Alec has little hope of it fitting without some serious adjustment.

It's a common misconception that Magnus is scrawny and thin, and not something that he jumps to correct; if he lets his enemies believe that he truly is weaker than he is, they'll walk into the situation expecting less than they'll face, and the element of surprise has always been a war tactic that Magnus favours.

In reality, Magnus has shoulders broader than Alec's and arms that bulge beneath tight clothes, hence why he has them tailored.

"You only had to ask, darling." Magnus steps closer, skin tingling with magic and something far more charming. "Let me help you with that."

Magnus reaches out, hands closing over Alec's shoulders. He focuses on the fabric, on stretching and pulling and molding until it wraps around Alec's shoulders, blue sparks threading the shirt from the collar down to the cuffs.

"You really don't mind?" Alec asks, arms hanging rigid by his sides. "I mean, I can always find another shirt."

Magnus shakes his head, trailing his fingers down the front of the garment, tripping over the small buttons. "Nonsense. It looks fantastic on you, much better than it ever did on me."

"You can make anything look gorgeous," Alec mumbles, quietly.

Magnus places his palm flat over Alec's chest, heartbeat thudding beneath his palm. "That's very sweet of you, angel, and I appreciate the compliment - however, that is unfortunately not true. There is a reason acid-washed jeans frighten me."

Alec laughs softly, chest rising with the movement. Magnus adjusts the rest of the shirt, sparks dancing along the hem, over the seams, careful not to pull the thread too far; magic can do a lot, but Magnus will never be able to entertain the thought of a career as a tailor.

"I thought that was just a way for you to evade my question," Alec's eyebrows knit together adorably. "You were being serious?"

Magnus nods. "I would never joke about something as horrifying as that, Alexander. Admittedly, it's not the thing that scares me most, but you certainly couldn't pay me enough to wear them."

Magnus steps back, gaze raking over Alec's long form. His boyfriend looks gorgeous, obviously, but there's something about the situation itself that sends Magnus' heart tripping inside his chest.

"I love you," He says, because he can. "And, I love how this looks. Far from the scruffy Shadowhunter who barged into a Downworlder party all those months ago."

Alec shrugs. "I've grown up." He states, reaching for Magnus' hands, holding them within his own. His thumb strokes over the back of Magnus' hand, trailing around to follow the lines tracing his palm. Magnus' breath sticks in his throat, inescapable.

"Thanks to my beautiful boyfriend, I've learnt a lot of things." Alec states, gaze stuck on their hands. "How to love, both others and myself. How to accept who I am, and - how to embrace that."

He glances up, staring at Magnus through hooded eyes, long lashes fluttering with each slow blink. "I don't have to wear Clave-approved gear all the time. I can wear something nicer, if I want, something fancier." Alec shrugs, the shirt shifting with the movement. "I can wear something that feels nice, that makes me feel good, and - and good-looking-"

_Pretty,_  Magnus' mind supplies, a slippery reminder of that infamous first night, when Alec was rigid and scared of his own feelings, when a demon almost took a life, and Magnus' reputation to be quite frank along with it.

"And, it does?" Magnus asks, pushing aside the ache that wraps around his ribs like twine - that is a matter for another day. "Make you feel good?"

Alec grins, his eyes shining just as bright. "Yeah, it does. I mean, the fabric is a little different than I'm used to, but - now that it fits-" The corner of Alec's mouth tugs up self-deprecatingly. "I really like it."

"It's yours." Magnus states, immediately.

Truth be told, he'd give Alec anything if it made him smile like that.

Alec stares, hands tightening around Magnus'. "You're not serious." He blinks. "You are serious. It's mine?"

"Yes, Alexander, if you so desire, that dashing garment is now all yours." He slides a hand from Alec's hold, lifting it to brush along the collar, fingertips ghosting against the column of Alec's neck.

"I love you," Alec says, voice a hushed tone. "I didn't say it before, I didn't have the chance, but I do. I love you."

Magnus leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to the center of Alec's forehead, where his skin creases so often it's a wonder there's no permanent mark. "I know, and I am grateful everyday for it."

Alec's eyes are closed, so Magnus peppers kisses along them, beneath Alec's brow, and then a line down either cheek, one at the end of Alec's cute, scrunchy nose. He leaves Alec's smile for last, his favourite part, if only for the pure joy that exudes from it - Magnus has always been a selfish man, always one for self-preservation, and he's greedy for it all, for the happiness that sinks into his skin, the glow of Alec's soul lighting up his own, the smile that tugs one from Magnus' own mouth, for only someone without a heart can resist a smile when Alec is around.

"We're going to be late," Alec mutters after a moment, not breaking away from the kiss.

"We'll eat in," Magnus declares, hooking his fingers in the loops of Alec's belt, careful not to wrinkle the shirt that had, it seemed, been painstakingly ironed.

_Oh dear, sweet Alexander._

"I promised dinner," Alec reminds him, pulling back, although he doesn't get very far, the tip of his nose bumping against Magnus'. "Not the same takeout we have most days of the week. This is a special night."

"Have I missed something?" Magnus asks, unbidden concern creeping in.

"Not, particularly." A low heat lights Alec's cheeks. "It's special because I get to spend it with you. We don't get that much time together, between our respective work, so any time that we do get is ... special."

Magnus hopes his swaying isn't noticeable. His knees feel as though they're about to give out beneath him. "Oh," He's fumbling, losing his eloquence as though it's nothing more than thread slipping through his fingertips.

Alec just smiles, patient and sweet.

"I'd best," Magnus feels unbalanced, and yet he doesn't mind all that much. "Get ready, then. For our special night out."

Alec leans forward, dropping a quick peck to Magnus' lips. "I'll be waiting." He declares, before sauntering out of the room, the slightest cheeky swing to his hips.

"You'll be the death of me, Alexander Lightwood!" Magnus calls out, towards Alec's disappearing figure.

Alec's response is a warm laugh that shoots straight at Magnus' heart. Not much of a surprise - Alec always meets his aim.

 

* * *

 

Magnus conjures a portal, but it is Alec who conducts it, one hand tangled with Magnus'. He tugs Magnus forward and through it, and when they stumble out it is onto a busy, bustling street - Alec's fortunately quick Shadowhunter reflexes bring Magnus forward before an angry businessman can bump into them, walking furiously and snapping at his Bluetooth with an sardonic tone. Alec shakes his head, and pulls Magnus around the corner.

"I feel bad for whoever is on the other end of that call," Alec comments.

Magnus is too busy staring at the restaurant before them, shock freezing his veins. Clear glass windows showcase their reflection, the awning framed by twinkling fairy lights not much unlike stars; a white carpet is spread out from the door to the curb, where a sharply dressed man with slicked black hair stands, arms folded behind his back.

It's a very, very nice restaurant.

Magnus feels as though he might faint.

"Alec." He chokes out, heat scorching up his neck. "I think you've made a mistake."

Instead of blanching, as Magnus expects, Alec simply smiles. He doesn't even appear confused, which is quite rude because Magnus is feeling very much out-the-loop himself.

"There's been no mistake." Alec replies. "This is where we're having dinner."

Magnus shakes his head, hand tremoring against Alec's. "This is one of the most prestigious restaurants in New York." He states, glancing at Alec with wide eyes. "How do you even know about this place?"

Alec shrugs. "I did my research. I wanted to take you out, somewhere amazing just like you deserve, and I came across this place - all the reviews were very positive and the food is, according to one, 'literally to die for' ... which does seem a bit excessive to me, but mundanes say strange things like that all the time. I suppose they face death a lot less than we do."

"In their world, they're not joking Alexander." Magnus doesn't know how to feel, his emotions a maelstrom of indescribable nonsense, splashes of loud colour on a blank canvas in his mind that he can't decipher.

"Come on," Alec inclines his head in the direction of the door. "We're going to miss our reservation."

"You made a reservation?"

Alec's forehead scrunches. "Of course I did. I'm not an idiot Magnus, I have learnt some things," He smiles. "Places like this don't let you in without a reservation, although the woman I spoke to was surprisingly kind when I mentioned our busy lives. I made one almost a week ago."

Magnus needs to sit down. "You've had this planned for a week?"

Alec scrubs the back of his neck with his free hand, ears dipped in red. "I've had the idea for longer, but, yeah. Is it ... is that not, okay? Do you want to go somewhere else? Because we can, we obviously can, I just thought this would be nice. Something, different. Fancy."

Magnus exhales shakily. "If we weren't standing in the middle of a very busy New York street, if it weren't terribly inappropriate, I would be pulling you in by the lapels of your blazer and showing you exactly how much I appreciate this."

He does, instead, kiss Alec's cheek, admiring the smile that grows in response. "Thank you, Alexander. I can't express how much this means to me."

"You deserve to be spoiled," Alec says, echoing his earlier statement.

_I don't deserve_ you, Magnus thinks, as Alec lifts his hand and brushes a kiss against the back.

Not even the cruel voice inside of his head can fight the force of Magnus' feelings for Alec; he is a selfish man, and Alec makes him happy, so much more than he ever believed himself worthy of.

He's not about to give that up.

 

* * *

 

Dinner is lovely.

The food is excellent, and after they're seated, at a darling table off to the back where the light dips Alec in gold and the chatter of the wider room can hardly reach them, Magnus realises that he's been there before.

Years ago, when the restaurant first picked up popularity, he'd taken Catarina, Ragnor and a reluctant Raphael here for a celebration of something that time has erased, though the sentiment remains.

Magnus keeps the resurfaced memory at the back of his mind, lets conversation dip and flow, admiring the almost angelic filter that Alec is glowing under, the bubble of champagne in his veins, the affection that is strong enough to drown in - until they get to dessert.

The waitress had brought over an array of different types, but it was Alec who'd raised his fork and lifted a piece of cheesecake cheerfully named  _'Death by Chocolate'_  to Magnus' lips.

A tradition had been created from that moment alone, each of them offering a piece of dessert to the other, the heightened atmosphere only increasing with each bite - it's terribly endearing to see Alec so carefree and relaxed, offering flirty quips, brushing his thumb against the corner of Magnus' mouth because he 'has a little something' there.

Not even this giggly, enchanting side of Alec can distract Magnus forever, though.

"How did you find this restaurant?" Magnus asks, twirling his empty fork between his fingers. "I doubt there's a database in the Institute for indulgences such as this."

"I, uh-" Alec's tongue swipes along his bottom lip, but Magnus has had centuries to build up self-control, and it will take more than that for him to break. "I did some research."

"It's quite a renowned place," Magnus points out, glancing at the chandeliers dripping faux-diamonds from the ceiling, the kind of place that draws people for anniversaries and birthdays, weddings and wakes.

Not somewhere Alec would have great knowledge of, unless he'd gone to someone else. Usually, Magnus would assume that Isabelle was the brains behind it, but she'd grown up the same as Alec, and he finds it unlikely that she would know and suggest this exact place.

"Let's just say I made a few calls," Alec states. The ice in his water clinks when he raises it to his mouth, his eyes wide but daring when they lock onto Magnus' over the rim.

Magnus hums, pressing his fork to his bottom lip, metal sharp against his tongue. "I would have thought Cat too busy to make restaurant recommendations - she must like you more than I thought."

Alec is a very intelligent person, and as such, knows when to fold; even if he doesn't understand the classic rules of poker, or what exactly a poker face is.

He shrugs, tracing his finger along the rim of his glass. "Who else can I ask, who would know somewhere you'd like? Catarina was my best bet - she actually said a few interesting things about you, and us."

Magnus' mind echoes static as he imagines all of the things that Catarina could have told Alec. The fact that Alec hasn't laughed in his face in an entire week means that Alec hasn't, as of yet, heard all of the tales from Peru, which is a miracle that Magnus could only dream of.

Alec pulls his bottom lip back with his teeth, an almost nervous habit that only appears when he's really apprehensive about something. "Cat also said that she, um - she trusts me."

Magnus feels his jaw drop. Not because Alec is untrustworthy, far from it, but rather because Catarina doesn't trust anyone, not easily, and certainly not Shadowhunters. Even when she does, it's not exactly something she broadcasts.

"Yeah," Alec laughs, nervous and frail. "I was shocked too."

"I'm overjoyed," Magnus admits, lest Alec get the wrong idea. "Simply, surprised. Catarina doesn't just, say that to people. She doesn't even tell me that she loves me, not in those words - she's far from being the warm and fuzzy type."

Alec reaches out, curling his fingers around Magnus' hand. "Neither was I. Before I met you."

Magnus squeezes Alec's hands, momentarily at a lost as to how to respond - what does one say to a confession such as that?

"It's the power of love," Magnus settles on, reminiscing of a song and a time that felt both simpler, and harder, than the one he's in now. "It makes people do surprising things."

"How so?" Alec asks, smiling despite his confusion.

"Think of all that has improved in the time we've been together?" Magnus traces an idle pattern along the back of Alec's hand. "Downworlder relations, whilst certainly not perfect, are inching towards a better future than I've ever been witness to. You've gotten  _Catarina Loss_  to trust you - an incredible feat in, and of itself."

The restaurant falls away slowly, cascading pieces of sky, until it's just them; Magnus takes a moment, to revel in the moment, before continuing. "You cancelled your own wedding, strutted down the altar and kissed me in front of important Clave emissaries, and your parents ... I opened myself up to love after promising that I wouldn't-"

Magnus shrugs. "Love, Alexander. It's the reason for a hundred crazy things and the inspiration behind a thousand wonderful ones. The best, in my entirely biased opinion, being your presence in my life."

"I'm glad I met you." Alec replies, thumb stroking one of Magnus' rings. "I don't want to imagine how dull and, and empty my life would be if you hadn't of crash-landed into it. I used to think it would be better to stick to the path I was born to, but ever since you, I've realised a cardboard, step-by-step life isn't what I really wanted."

Tears prick at Magnus' eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. A threat made all the stronger when Alec utters his next, devastating words.

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

The tears slip, then, and if Magnus were a different man, he'd be ashamed, embarrassed at being caught in public with emotion painting his skin - but this is Alec. Only a being without a soul would remain stone-faced after hearing that, after knowing what he does, and having been through what he did; if there is any proof that Magnus does have a soul, it lies in all he feels for Alec.

"In four hundred years, I've never the luck of meeting anybody like you." Magnus lifts his free hand, brushing carefully beneath his eyes so as not to disturb his makeup. "I'm not one to believe all that much in fate, and yet even someone as jaded and cynical as me can't deny that what we have isn't ordinary."

A watery smile tugs at Alec's mouth. "Like soulmates?"

"Something close to that," Magnus nods, the words breaking off in his throat. "I think that term is a little too, generic, for us. We don't follow any rules, not even ones that we outline for ourselves."

"Keeps things exciting," Alec points out, appearing considerably close to tears himself. "Although, there is peace to be found in all of the madness."

Magnus quirks an eyebrow, trying to regain composure. Alec lifts Magnus' hand, and places a soft, open-mouthed kiss to the back of it.

"Love." Magnus states, giving in to the weight of emotion crashing over him. "It makes everything worth it."

Alec squeezes Magnus' hand, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I never thought I'd get that. Love." He shrugs, nonchalantly, as though Magnus' heart isn't splintering in two. "Before ... when I came to see you,  _before_ , you said that even Shadowhunters fall in love, but - it's not a priority. Marriage has always been a political thing, it's about continuing the dwindling Shadowhunter race, not love."

Alec's hand shifts, his thumb stroking over the ring finger of Magnus' left hand, hardened edge against bare skin. It's an absent gesture, but one that sends sparks firing like synapses beneath Magnus' skin.

"Love was always a fairytale, for me." Alec continues, soft-spoken and distant. "Even before I realised I was - am - gay, I thought it was nothing more than an unattainable dream. I'm the oldest, it's my duty to be the one who continues the family line, and even before I found out my parents were in the Circle, it was really important for me to-"

Alec pauses, glancing out at the chattering patrons around them, the sound of clinking glass tapping against the bubble of seclusion they'd wrapped themselves in.

"My mother had a brother. I don't think I ever told you that." Alec's still stroking Magnus' hand, and something in Magnus doubts he even realises it. "His name was Max, too. Max Trueblood. Nobody talks about him anymore; I only found out about him after Max, little Max, was born. Mom had told us that she named him after her brother, but she went quiet after that. She wouldn't tell us what had happened to him."

Magnus isn't sure if there's anything he can really say in response, so he remains quiet. It's always a joy to hear Alec speak, to weave tales between his broad hands like a cat's cradle made of vowels, a privilege that he's one of few who truly get to see this free and comfortable side of Alec. Many people believe that he's introverted, and closed-off, but that isn't entirely true - Alec simply doesn't open himself up easily.

If he trusts you, as he trusts Magnus, then he'll let you into his heart, he'll bear his soul forth and spin stories of precious silver and gold, and it's nothing short of a gift.

Alec's voice is distant and faint when he speaks up, but Magnus catches it, cradling threads of Alec's memory in his arms. "I looked him up, a few months ago. He left the Clave, to marry a mundane. It left Mom an outcast, she was only a teenager at the time, ostracised by the wider community for actions she had no part in. I imagine that's part of what Valentine used to draw her into the Circle. Possibly why she wanted to make sure I didn't do anything that would upset the Clave, why she pushed me as a kid, to make the right decisions."

Alec glances at Magnus then, a tiny smile curving his mouth, gaze searching his face for something - Magnus would give it to Alec, if he only knew what it was.

"I wonder, sometimes, if that's what upset her so much, when I chose you instead of marrying Lydia. First her brother leaves her to become a mundane, then the Circle happens, and once she thinks she has her life sorted out, her eldest son publicly outs himself and enters a relationship with a prominent Downworlder. None of those sound very appeasing to the Clave."

"I can," Magnus mulls over the words, sour against the roof of his mouth. "Understand, why she would want to appease the Clave. Considering the tight control it has on Shadowhunters lives."

Alec hums, inhaling deeply. "I just, I always felt like there was never anything I could do, to be enough. It pushed me to strive harder, to be better." He smiles, thin and worn. "It's only since meeting you that I've learnt there's only so much I can do; there's only so much that I am capable of. And that's okay, because no one is perfect at everything, and thinking that I should be is a little, arrogant."

"The universe requires balance," Magnus comments, thinking of all that he's lost, all he's had to endure, to even out that which makes him happy.

He's yet to really find the balance for having Alec in his life, so dear and close to his heart, so effortlessly kind and selfless and beautiful; part of him is worried that it will come with grief and despair, but even so, it would all be worth it for the time they get to spend together.

A moment with Alec is better than a lifetime without.

"We seem to be doing quite well," The corner of Alec's mouth quirks up, slow and self-satisfied. "Balancing work and pleasure."

Magnus finds himself smirking, as he always does when Alec looks at him the way he currently is, soft and coy, a teasing curve to his smile that sends Magnus' heart fluttering.

"You know what they say," Magnus glances up in one fluid motion, chin tilted down so that he's peering up at Alec. "Relationships take effort, and all of that."

Alec nods, gaze flickering to Magnus' hands, his own still wrapped around them. "I mean, I only have ours to base my experience off, and we haven't exactly had the easiest run, but - I think that's only helped us. We've managed to learn a lot in a short amount of time."

Magnus lifts one shoulder, slight and considerate. "There are many things to be learnt in even the smallest moments." He sucks in a deep breath, whistling through his teeth. He's always been one to take risks, but never to plunge in the deep end quite like this. "I, myself, have learnt that all the chasing and running I've done throughout my entire existence, the fleeting dalliances and fractured romances, was simply in preparation for - you."

He attempts to keep his expression refrained, tears sticky on his cheeks, heart frozen still behind his aching ribs, as though even it is too scared to move. Across the table, Alec blinks, still sporting that dazed smile; Magnus doesn't want to presume anything, but it's difficult, when Alec is looking at him with eyes formed into hearts, his hand squeezing Magnus' as though he understands that Magnus is free-falling.

"I used to think that, because I couldn't have ... what I wanted, that I'd miss out on it. On love." Alec leans forward, caring naught for the crowd around them, nor the waiters flitting pass.

_We probably look like a love-drunk engaged couple,_  Magnus thinks, distantly. A dream for another day.

"Do you feel as though you're missing out on anything?" Magnus asks, instead, mostly out of curiosity. If there's anything Alec wants, Magnus would give it to him in a heartbeat - or two, if it was an item requiring conjuring.

"No." Alec replies immediately. He lifts his free hand, palm pressed to Magnus' flushed cheek. Surely a result of the champagne, and not the tender way Alec is touching him. "I have all that I need, all that I've ever wanted, right here. With you."

It's easy, to move forward and press his lips to Alec's, parted and soft. Simple, to melt as Alec kisses back, chaste and caring.

It's little more effort than that required for breathing, for Magnus to pull back, catch the glint of gold reflecting in Alec's eyes from the chandeliers above their heads, and decide that one day, when the time is right, he'll marry the man sitting across from him.

Magnus has never, realistically, considered the idea of marrying anyone before. Yet with Alec, there's nothing to doubt.

It's too early now, their lives too busy and frantic to consider much more than sleepy kisses after strenuous days and snatches of privacy in-between now and the end of the world.

One day, though. One day, when the puzzle pieces are locked into their rightful places - one day, Magnus will marry Alec.

And he's going to do it in gold.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed - this hiatus is bound to be long, so there's plenty more like this to come :) 
> 
> LINKS: 
> 
> Twitter: [ninwrites](https://mobile.twitter.com/ninwrites) for fic stuff/updates/snippets + [malteser_24](https://mobile.twitter.com/malteser_24) for general fandom mess
> 
> Tumblr: [killjoyrow](http://killjoyrow.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for reading - I sincerely hope you've enjoyed it.
> 
> \- Nin ❤
> 
> P.S 
> 
> *announcement time* [MalecFicLibrary](https://twitter.com/malecficlibrary) are doing an event on November 1st - National Author's Day - to celebrate and appreciate fic writers and the stories we create. Readers and writers are invited to share their experiences and thoughts relating to fic, and I encourage everyone who feels comfortable, to do so - it's such a lovely idea, and after recent events, we need a little love to spread around the fandom.
> 
> You can find the post [here](https://malecficlibrary.tumblr.com/post/166105574139/share-your-appreciation-for-shadowhunters-fics-and) where it is explained better than I could ever try ❤
> 
> (There's only one day left to participate BUT I think it's important that fanfic authors are treated respectfully and thanked for what they share.)


End file.
